January 2026 Reading Challenge🌟📚
by The Book Pup on January 2, 2026
Welcome to January - the month of fresh starts, new beginnings, and trying things you've never tried before!
While everyone else is making (and probably already breaking) gym resolutions, we're doing something different. This January, we're challenging ourselves to be ADVENTUROUS readers. To pick up books we normally wouldn't. To step outside our reading comfort zones. To discover something surprising.
Because here's the truth: Your next favorite book might be in a genre you've never tried.
This month's challenge is all about exploration, discovery, and maybe finding out you love something you thought you'd hate. No pressure to become a different reader - just permission to experiment and see what happens.
Let's make January the month you surprised yourself.
Why January is Perfect for Reading Exploration
Plus, if you try something and hate it, you learned something about yourself. That's valuable too.
The January "Try Something New" Challenge
This month, I'm challenging you (and myself!) to step outside your reading comfort zone. Here are four weeks of increasingly adventurous challenges.
Pick the challenges that sound exciting, scary, or interesting - you don't have to do all of them!
Week 1: "Baby Steps Out of Comfort Zone" (Jan 1-7)
📖 Challenge 2: Try a format you don't usually use Physical book reader? Try an audiobook. Ebook person? Get a physical book from the library. Graphic novel? Poetry collection? Mix it up.
⏰ Challenge 3: Read at a different time than usual Night reader? Try morning reading. Weekend reader? Sneak in weekday pages. Change when and where you read.
Week 2: "Genre Exploration" (Jan 8-14)
🔀 Challenge 4: Read a genre you've never tried Mystery reader trying romance? Fantasy fan trying contemporary? Horror avoider facing your fears? This is your week.
🌍 Challenge 5: Read a book set somewhere you've never been Different country, different world, different time period. Travel through reading.
👥 Challenge 6: Read outside your usual age category YA reader trying adult? Adult reader trying YA? Middle grade? New Adult? Cross those category boundaries.
Note: check if the books are appropriate for you BEFORE reading any book that is above your age level
Week 3: "Perspective Shift" (Jan 15-21)
🗣️ Challenge 7: Read a book by an author from a different background than yours Different culture, different experience, different perspective. Expand your worldview.
📚 Challenge 8: Read something "serious" if you usually read light, or vice versa Fluff reader? Try something with depth. Heavy reader? Try something fun and light. Balance your reading diet.
🎭 Challenge 9: Try a writing style that's different from what you're used to Flowery prose if you like simple. Fast-paced if you like slow. First person vs third person. Poetic vs straightforward.
Week 4: "Bold Experiments" (Jan 22-31)
🚀 Challenge 10: Read something totally random Close your eyes at the library and grab a book. Use a random book generator. Ask someone with completely different taste to recommend something.
📏 Challenge 11: Read something much longer or shorter than usual 400+ pages if you stick to short books. Novellas if you only read long books. Push your length comfort zone.
🎲 Challenge 12: Read something that intimidates you That classic you've been avoiding. That genre everyone says is "hard." That author everyone raves about. Face your reading fear.
How to Choose Your "Try Something New" Book
Strategy 1: Start with familiar elements + one new thing
- Try: Sci-fi with strong female leads (genre change, character type stays)
- Try: Fantasy with male protagonist (character change, genre stays)
- Try: Contemporary with strong female leads (genre change, character type stays)
Strategy 2: Follow recommendations from trusted sources
- Librarians: "I love [your favorite], what's similar but different?"
- Book bloggers with similar taste but broader range
- Friends who read what you read BUT ALSO other things
- Goodreads "Readers Also Enjoyed" for books you loved
What "Trying Something New" Looks Like for Different Readers
The Devoted Fantasy Reader:
Comfort zone: YA fantasy, high fantasy, fantasy romance New territory to try:
- Contemporary fantasy (magical realism)
- Sci-fi (space fantasy is a bridge genre!)
- Historical fiction with magical elements
- Fantasy from different cultures (African, Asian, Latin American-inspired)
The Contemporary Romance Lover:
Comfort zone: YA contemporary, romance, rom-coms New territory to try:
- Romantasy (romance + fantasy)
- Contemporary with mystery elements
- Historical romance
- Literary contemporary (character-driven, deeper themes)
The Thriller/Mystery Fan:
Comfort zone: Mysteries, thrillers, suspense New territory to try:
- Sci-fi mysteries (Blake Crouch vibes)
- Fantasy with mystery elements
- Historical mysteries
- Psychological literary fiction
The "I Only Read One Genre" Reader:
Whatever your genre: You're allowed to love what you love! But try: Just ONE book from a different genre this month Suggested approach: Find a book in another genre with a trope/element you love from your main genre
Preparing for Your Experiment
Set Realistic Expectations:
You might hate it. That's okay! You learned something about your taste.
You might love it. Exciting! You just expanded your reading world.
You might feel "meh." Also valid. Not everything has to be life-changing.
Give it a fair shot: Try to read at least 50 pages before deciding. Some books need time to hook you.
But also: If you genuinely hate it at page 30, DNF guilt-free. Life's too short.
Lower the Stakes:
This is NOT about:
- Becoming a different kind of reader
- Forcing yourself through books you hate
- Proving anything to anyone
- Reading things that make you uncomfortable
This IS about:
- Curiosity and exploration
- Discovering hidden preferences
- Expanding your options
- Having fun trying new things
What You Might Discover
Surprising genre love: "I thought I hated sci-fi but actually I just needed character-focused sci-fi!"
New favorite authors: "I only tried this because of the challenge and now I've read their entire backlist."
Expanded appreciation: "I still prefer fantasy but now I appreciate what contemporary does well."
Specific dislikes: "I don't hate horror - I hate gore specifically. Atmospheric horror is great!"
Tropes you love: "Wait, I don't love fantasy - I love found family. That exists in every genre!"
Reading flexibility: "I can enjoy more than I thought if I approach it with an open mind."
Tracking Your January Experiments
Click here to access my free log! (make a copy)
Reflect at month's end:- What surprised you?
- What confirmed your preferences?
- What will you explore more?
- What can you confidently say isn't for you?
Community Challenge: Let's Explore Together
I'm doing this challenge too! Here's what I'm trying in January:
- Ebooks (I read physical)
- Nonfiction (I never read this ☠️)
- Science fiction (I'm a fantasy lover all the way)
- Thriller (Not really into horror stories, but this isn't horror...right?)
Permission Slips for January Reading
Permission to:
✅ DNF books that aren't working
✅ Hate a beloved genre after trying it
✅ Love something "weird" or unexpected
✅ Return to your comfort zone anytime
✅ Try just ONE new thing instead of many
✅ Take your time figuring out what you think
✅ Change your mind about genres you dismissed
✅ Stick with what you love if experimenting isn't fun
You are not required to:
❌ Finish books you hate
❌ Like things just because you tried them
❌ Become a different kind of reader
❌ Abandon your favorite genres
❌ Read things that make you uncomfortable
❌ Prove anything to anyone
What If You Hate Everything You Try?
First: That's valuable information! Now you KNOW what you don't like.
Second: You don't have to try everything. If you tried three new things and hated all three, that's enough experimenting for now.
Third: Sometimes it's not the genre - it's the specific book. One bad sci-fi doesn't mean you hate all sci-fi.
Fourth: Comfort zones exist for a reason. If you love your reading niche, stay there! This challenge is invitation, not obligation.
The goal: Expand possibilities, not force yourself into misery.
Accountability and Support
Find an Experiment Buddy:
- Try new things together
- Share recommendations
- Discuss what's working/not working
- Celebrate discoveries
- Commiserate over duds
Beyond January: Making Exploration a Habit
If you loved trying new things:
The Monthly New Thing: Once a month, read outside your usual preferences
The Quarterly Genre Dive: Every quarter, dedicate a month to exploring one new genre deeply
The Alternating Method: Comfort read, experimental read, comfort read, experimental read
The 80/20 Rule: 80% comfort zone, 20% exploration
If you're returning to your comfort zone:
That's totally fine! You tried, you learned, you know what you love. Read what makes you happy.
The value was in trying, not in forcing yourself to change.
A January Reading Pep Talk
Here's the thing about trying new things: You don't know what you don't know.
Maybe you've been missing out on amazing books because you assumed you wouldn't like a genre. Maybe your next favorite author writes in a category you've never explored. Maybe you're one book away from discovering something that changes your reading life.
Or maybe you try a bunch of new things and confirm that you already know exactly what you love. That's valuable too.
January is about POSSIBILITIES. It's about curiosity. It's about giving yourself permission to explore without pressure.
You don't have to become someone who reads everything.
You just have to be open to being surprised.
So this January, pick up something different. Something that makes you curious. Something that scares you a little or intrigues you a lot.
You might hate it. You might love it. You might discover something about yourself as a reader.
All of those outcomes are good.
What's one new thing you'll try in January? I'm genuinely excited to hear about your reading experiments!
Happy reading, and here's to discovering something unexpected this January! 🌟
The Book Pup
P.S. If you discover an amazing book through this challenge, come back and tell me! Your experiment might lead someone else to their new favorite read.